The winner of the James Dyson Award in 2009 was AUTOMIST by Yusuf Muhammad and Paul Thomas.
In recognition of their victory, they have won £10,000 to develop their design. £10,000 will also be awarded to their university department to support the development of future projects by other promising students.
Read about the winning entry, as well as the fifteen international finalists, here.
2009 Finalist
PeepoGPS. UK
Problem:
The guide dog has been a tried and trusted companion for the visually impaired aiding mobility on regular routes. Navigation of totally new places entirely independently is a different story, with only 6% of guide dog owners venturing to new destinations due to anxiety levels. Something was needed to compliment the safety element that the guide dog provides, easing navigation to new places.
Development:
Working with mini focus groups throughout the design process, the designer went through various stages of prototyping to find the most appropriate solution to the problem of independent navigation. User testing and feedback, lab work and user trials within urban environments facilitated further development.
Solution:
PeepoGPS is compromised of two devices: a handheld GPS that users speak into to confirm their destination, and a guide dog handle attachment that gives subtle guidance by way of vibration zones through user's fingertips. On arrival the zones simultaneously vibrate.
2009 Finalist - Detecting Defective Mattresses